John Julius Norwich - A History of France

John Julius Norwich―called a “true master of narrative history” by Simon  Sebag Montefiore―returns with the book he has spent his distinguished  career wanting to write, A History of France: a portrait of the past two centuries of the country he loves best.

Beginning  with Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this  study of French history comprises a cast of legendary  characters―Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc and Marie  Antionette, to name a few―as Norwich chronicles France’s often violent,  always fascinating history. From the French Revolution―after which  neither France, nor the world, would be the same again―to the storming  of the Bastille, from the Vichy regime and the Resistance to the end of  the Second World War, A History of France is packed with heroes  and villains, battles and rebellion, stories so enthralling that Norwich  declared, “I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing a book  more.”

With his celebrated stylistic panache and expert command  of detail, Norwich writes in an inviting, intimate tone, and with a  palpable affection for France. One of our greatest contemporary  historians has deftly crafted a comprehensive yet concise portrait of  the country's historical sweep.